A former Progressive Labour Party MP who is running as an independent candidate in the upcoming election has said the formation of a coalition government would likely be to the benefit of Bermuda.

Renée Webb, who was announced on Sunday as entering the political fray, held a press conference inside the John Swan Building where she outlined her platform.

This included downsizing the Government, reducing the cost of living, addressing crime and enticing students in higher education to return and work here.

Ms Webb, who is running in Devonshire North Central (Constituency 13) which is held by Diallo Rabain of the PLP, ruled out the growing group of independents forming a political party — but said discussions had already taken place with the Opposition, though not the Government, with regards to what a coalition might look like.

Ms Webb, who served as an MP from 1993 to 2007 and spent seven years as a Cabinet member, said: “If, for example, the PLP go down to 18 seats, they cannot be the Government, so the difference will be split between us and the One Bermuda Alliance.”

She made no mention of the Free Democratic Movement, led by Marc Bean.

“The question is, you would have to have a coalition government or go back to the polls.

“The three [the independents, PLP and OBA] would have enough to form a government. In that case we would have to come together and see how that works out.

“None of us are looking at that going into it; we want to see what happens. We haven’t discussed it with the PLP though, that is an impossibility, but we have discussed it with the OBA.

“If the time comes and the numbers are not there, everybody is going to be looking at how to form the Government.

“Quite frankly, that could be a better thing for Bermuda because at least you won’t be fighting over party politics.”

At the top of her platform list in her campaign leaflet is an effort to streamline the Government, going from 36 MPs down to 22.

She said the PLP was mostly made up of MPs who do not speak up enough in Parliament and who were not capable of running the country.

“It became clear that help was needed,” she said. “The Burt Administration has done the best it could do, but it is just not good enough.”

Reducing the cost of living is also high on her agenda.

She added: “The cost of living is way too high and nothing has been done to bring the cost of living down except to say we have put a little more money in your pocket.

“We increase by the inflationary rate. If you increase by the rate of inflation, that means you didn’t get a raise at all.”

Ms Webb, who has a background in business and finance, said the corporate income tax could bring opportunity, but Bermudians must come first in how it would be spent.

She said it should be used to implement subsidised education, reducing the debt, helping seniors and the importation of staple foods by the Government for sale at no profit.

The Premier has said the CIT could bring $750 million in annual revenues. He said that $50 million would go towards the implementation of universal healthcare while other CIT revenues would be directed at reducing the debt.

The Premier has repeatedly defended the PLP’s record, saying it has taken decisive steps to deliver relief to families and businesses.